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grass shrimp and snails


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#1 Guest_don212_*

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Posted 12 October 2014 - 05:15 PM

I collect native killies,livebearers,and pygmy sunfish here in fl. along with grass shrimp, and accidental snails, some apple snails, some smaller black ones. what are the affects of the snails and shrimp on my aquarium, fish , and their fry, some of the shrimp are larger than my smaller fish?

#2 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 12 October 2014 - 08:04 PM

Shrimp will not hurt fish except possibly the very smallest fry. They may eat fish eggs if the parents do not guard the nest. In general, it will be difficult to keep a shrimp population in a tank with fish because they are a very desirable food. They can be kept peacefully together with bluefin killifish, least killies, any of the Elassoma, golden topminnows, and L. ommata. Not sure how widely to interpret your statement of "killifish," but they will not survive in a tank with mummichogs or other similar largish minnows.

Snails are an awesome addition to any aquarium and are quite harmless to your fish. Some fish, especially the pygmy sunfish you mentioned, are snail specialists, to the point that my tanks requires very active management (separate breeding tanks) to maintain a snail population at all. Smaller soft-shelled pond snails or ramshorns will provide a constant supply of small food that will promote breeding in Elassoma. No real experience with apple snails, but I know their breeding habits are very different and they are hard on live plants, which the fish you mentioned all love.

#3 mattknepley

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Posted 13 October 2014 - 06:50 AM

I can vouch for the efficiency of natives as snail killers. For a while I had substantial green algae growth in my 55. Other conditions must have been right,too, cuz the snail population exploded. Shortly thereafter the fish got fatter and the snail population was reduced to those who got lucky enough to survive a trip through the hob and live in the filter media!
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#4 Guest_don212_*

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Posted 13 October 2014 - 08:09 AM

thanks, my largest fish are flagfish, and golden topminnows, the goldens are segregated from the smaller species and l am thinking about the flagish, but they don,t get along with each other well, the black snails,lay eggs on the glass and reproduce prodigously,apple snails lay large hard eggcases above waterline in the wild and get to be enormous, i only have a couple juveniles, they do forage on my val leaves

#5 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 13 October 2014 - 08:17 PM

Fundulus chrysotus (golden topminnow) is a very peaceful fish and can be kept together with your smallest, even Heterandria formosa and Elassoma. Snail and shrimp safe too.




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